1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cathodic corrosion protection system for an automotive vehicle in which electrical energy required to power the cathodic system is provided by a photovoltaic array mounted upon an exterior surface of the vehicle. The system also includes a battery and a controller for monitoring the vehicle's electrical potential and for adjusting the applied anticorrosion voltage.
2. Disclosure Information
Cathodic protection of metallic structures has been used for many years. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,604 illustrates a solar powered cathodic corrosion protection system for a buried structure. Cathodic protection for moveable structures, has, however, been generally confined to marine applications. Of course, a source of electrical current must be provided to power cathodic protection systems and this comes at the expense of an energy expenditure. Designers of cathodic protection systems have attempted to mitigate the energy consumption of such systems by using photovoltaic (PV) arrays which advantageously convert sunlight into electrical energy. Such PV powered cathodic protection, has, however, been used only for stationary structures such as that shown in the '604 patent.
A system according to the present invention advantageously uses a PV array with battery storage to power a cathodic protection system in an automotive vehicle, so as to prevent corrosion of the vehicle, particularly the vehicle's body, without the need for increasing the fuel consumed by the vehicle's power plant.